Vehicle-gear.



L. E. HIGKOK'.

VEHICLE GEAR. APPLIOATION FILED 0012, 1909.

INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

LESTER E. HICKOK, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE CLEVE- LAND HARDWARE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

VEHICLE-GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

Application filed October 2, 1909. Serial No. 520,539.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LESTER E. HIoKoK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Gears, of which the following is a specification.

I-Ieretofore, vehicle gear irons, or parts, adapted for use in connection with an axle, head block and a single reach, have been forged separately and attached to the reach,

head block and axle when the constituent parts of the vehicle running gear were assembled at the shop or manufactory. In

. practice much time has been consumed and ing the difliculties attending the assembling and fitting of the parts at the shop, and the forming of certain parts and elements integrally.

My invention consists in forging the reach iron, head block plate, and upper member of the fifth wheel separately and then rigidly uniting them in their proper relative positions by rivets or by projecting lugs formed on some parts which enter holes in other parts and are upset.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one example of the physical embodiment of my invention and a modification of the single reach iron constructed according to the best modes I have so far devised for the practical application of the principle.

member. Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of a modified form of a single reach iron.

Referring to the figures, the letter A designates the perforated reach; B, a single reach iron with holes at one end and a plate C at the other end, said plate having a concave seat D, and perforated lugs E at the sides to receive the threaded ends of clips in the well-known way; F, the head block plate which fits within the seat D of the plate at the end of the reach iron; G, the lower member of the fifth wheel; H, the upper or top member of the fifth wheel; I, the king bolt brace having in this instance two holes at its rear end; J, the reach strap; K, a bolt which is passed through the front hole in the end of the reach iron and the hole at the end of the reach strap; L and M, bolts passed through holes in the reach iron, reach, reach strap, and king bolt brace, and all said bolts provided with nuts which serve to clamp the several parts together; N, an anti-rattler; and O, in Fig. 5, a single reach iron having two forks each of which is provided with a seat for the head block plate and two holes for the threaded ends of clips.

I have devised a way to rigidly unite the reach iron to the head block plate and also to the upper fifth wheel member. Upon the top surface of the plate C of the reach iron are lugs or projections P P, which enter holes through the head block plate, said projections P extending slightly above the top surface of the head block plate, and the holes Q being reamed out or enlarged at- R as shown. By upsetting or displacing the metal of the projections or riveting them down the reach iron and head block plate are rigidly united in fixed relative positions.

The centralportion of the metal of the reach iron is offset as shown to form a seat S for the top member of the fifth wheel, and a downward projection T may be forged to the shape indicated though in some cases it may be omitted entirely. A hole U is made through the'off-set portion of the metal, which hole is enlarged at the top end. A similar hole V is made through the top fifth wheel member in line with the hole U which hole is enlarged at the lower end. A rivet W is then inserted in the holes and its ends upset and the heads countersunkas clearly shown in Fig. 4:.

A modified form of single reach iron and metallic means with the metal upset shown in Fig. 5 is attached to the upper fifth wheel member and the head block plate as above described, the projections P at the ends of the block being similar to those shown upon the plate of the previously described reach iron. Separable or partly integral rivets or projections upon one member adapted to enter holes in the other memher or analogous means may be employed to rigidly unite the separately forged parts:

It is obvious that when united the top fifth wheel member and the head block plate occupy fixed positions relative to the reach iron and that the whole may be regarded and handled as a unit when being secured to the reach and head block plate, and the adjustments and re-adjustments incident to the handling and fitting of the independent parts separately be obviated.

hat I claim is:

l. The combination with a head block plate, and an upper fifth wheel member, of a single reach iron centrally disposed relative to said head block plate and upper fifth wheel member, said parts being separately forged, and metallic means with the metal upset rigidly uniting the reach iron to the upper fifth wheel member and the head block plate.

2. The combination with a head block plate, and an upper fifth wheel member, of a single reach iron centrally disposed relative to the head block plate and upper fifth wheel member, said parts being separately forged, and means consisting of lugs and rivets rigidly uniting the front end of the reach iron to the head block plate and the part of the reach iron intermediate its ends to the upper fifth wheel member.

3. The combination with an upper fifth wheel member, of a head block plate, a single reach iron said iron being centrally disposed relative to the upper fifth wheel member and its front end provided with means for attachment to the head block plate, said parts being separately forged,

rigidly uniting the reach iron to the upper fifth wheel member.

4. The combination with an upper fifth wheel member, of ahead block plate, a single reach iron said iron being centrally disposed relative to the upper fifth wheel member and its front end provided with means for attachment to the head block plate, said parts being separately forged, and a rivet rigidly uniting the reach iron to the upper fifth wheel member.

5..The combination with an upper fifth wheel member, of a single reach iron having a seat at its under surface to receive the upper fifth wheel member, said reach iron being centrally disposed relative to the upper fifth wheel member, and means in connection with the seat rigidly uniting the reach iron to the upper fifth wheel member.

6. The combination with a head block plate, of a reach iron having its front portion located beneath and fitting the head block plate, and metallic means passed from one member into the other and upset, rigidly uniting the said two elements.

7. The combination with a single centrally disposed reach iron having the metal offset or forged to form a seat at its under surface, of an upper fifth wheel member with its central part fitting the seat; and means rigidly uniting the reach iron and upper fifth wheel member at their contact surfaces.

8. The combination in a vehicle gear, of a single centrally disposed reach iron having the metal intermediate its ends offset or fashioned to form a seat at its under surface; a reach; a reach strap; and a fifth wheel member located within the opening formed by the offset portion of the reach iron and the reach strap.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LESTER E. HICKOK.

Witnesses VILLIAM LAVINGNA, DISRAELI ALsToN. 

